Carton



tja ila S glgii Patented nee. 2e, teer 3,014,636 CARTN FrancisWfFieldin'g, New 0rleans, La., assigner, by mesne assignments, to ByronH. Lengsi'ield, New Qrleans, La. Filed Feb. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 11,679

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-39) This invention Vrelates to cartons and moreparticularly to folding paperboard cartons which are erected through theuse of mechanical locking tabs. i

It has heretofore been proposed to form foldable cartons in which theends of the carton blank are connected through mechanical interlockingtabs, rather than gluing.

VOne of the problems of such cartons has been the provision of means toinsure proper alignment of the panels or panel sections connected by thetabs and to restrict the same against relative movement parallel to eachother. Attempts to overcome this difliculty have included the use ofseparate tabs whose sole function is to align the panels and the use ofa plurality of non-sym-- metrical lockingtabs with dilerent tipsresisting relative movement of the panels or panel sections in differentdirections. None of these expedients has been entirely satisfactory ydueto cost, diiculty of erection of the carton, or both. J

it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a carton inwhich the ends of the blank are connected by one or more locking tabseach of which is of simple, inexpensive construction, which are easy .toconnect and which hold adjacent panels or panel sections securelyagainst relative movement in any direction.

Another object is to provide a carton in which carton panel or panelsections are formed with spaced projecting ears between which the neckportion. of a locking tab on another locking panel ts to limit relativemovement of the sections with respect to each other.

IThe above and other objects and features of the invention will be morereadily apparent from the following description when read in connectionwith the accompanying dra-wings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a yperspective view of a completed filled carton embodyingthe invention; FIGURE 2 is an elevation with parts broken away;

FGURE 3 is a partial View of the blank for the carton of FIGURES l and2;

FlGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 of an alternative form of carton;and

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of the carton of FIGURE 4 with parts brokenaway.

The carton, as shown in FIGURES l and 2, is adapted to hold twocylindrical articles 10, such as cans or the like, although articles ofany other desired shape or size A could be accommodated by suitablemodifications in the carton. The articles 1t) are held in side-by-siderelationship by the carton which comprises a bottom panel 11 oppositeside panels 12 and 13 and a compound top panel, indicated generally at14. The top panel i143 is formed by a panel section 15 Vfoldably joinedto the upper edge of the side panel 12 and a complementary top panelsection 16 foldably joined to the upper edge of the side panel 13. Inerecting the carton the panel section 1.6 `is overlapped over the panelsection 15, as shown, and terminates substantially at the junction ofthe panel section 15 -with the side panel 12. If desired, the sidetending across the corners of the open ends oi the carton to engage theadjacent portions of the articles 1t? and hold them in the carton. Thegusset members 13 are connected through triangular webs tov flaps whichtold inwardly over the bottom panel ill and underlie the articles 1t) tobe held in place thereby. Since this speciic construction does not, perse, form a part of the present invention it will not be described infurther detail herein.

The carton of FIGURES l and 2 is formed of an elongated paperboardblank, as shown partially in Fl- URE 3, -with its central portion brokenaway. The end of the top section 16 carries a locking tab 21 having anenlarged head portion connected to the top section through a reducedneck portion 22 with a fold line at the reduced neck portion, asindicated at 23. This tab, as shown in FIGURES l and 2, is adapted toextend through a slot formed adjacent to the juncture of the side panel12 and top section 1S. As best seen in FIG- URE 3, the slot includesrelatively short end portions 2d lying on the fold line 25 between theside panel 12, and the top section 15. inwardly of the straight sections24, the slot is bowed outwardly, as shown at 26, to define a pair ofspaced projecting ears 27 projecting outwardly from and in the plane ofthe top panel section 15. The slot continues in a straight line 23between the outwardly bowed portions 26 with the portion 23 preferablybeing oliset slightly inward of the top panel section 15, as seen inFIGURE 3.

When the `carton is erected and the top panel section is folded over, asshown in FIGURES l and 2, the slot will define an opening through whichthe locking tab 21 may project with the spaced ears Z7 lying adjacent toand in contact with the sides of the neck portion 22. When the lockingtab is pressed through the slot, the neck will lie in the centralportion thereof, detined by the straight line cut 2S which is slightlyoffset to form a gap in which the `neck may lie with a short upwardprojection 29, as seen in FIGURE l, projecting very slightly above thetop of the side panel 12.

With this construction, it is very easy to push the locking tab 21through the slot, the side panel '12 bowing very slightly during thisoperation to permit the ears on the tab to pass the ears 27. With thetab in its locking position, as shown, the head portion thereof willengage portions of the top panel section 16 may be cut back on Y thecurved lines' 17, as shown.

The articles are held in the carton by Aa gusset-type construction, asmore particularly describe-d and claimed in my patent Reissue No.24,667. As shown, this construction comprises triangular gusset members18 foldably joined to the ends of the bottom panel 11 and exbeneath theears 27 which lwill also engage the sides of the neck portion 22 of thetab so that the tab is held securely against movement in any directionrelative to the side panel 12 and the top section 15.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate an alternative construction in a slightlylarger carton for housing three or more cylindrical `cans or similararticles 3l. This carton is formed of a continuous strip of paperboard,or the like, with foldably joined sections defining side panels 32 and33, the bottom panel, not seen in the figures, foldably connected at itssides to the respective side panels and a composite top panel. The toppanel is formed by a panel section 34 of a size substantially to coverthe entire top section of the carton and a short top panel section 35foldably joined to the upper edge of the side panel 32 to underlie thetop panel section 34. The top panel sections 34 and 35 are both formedwith triangular gusset extensions 36kwhich extend across the uppercorners of the open ends of the carton to engage the cans 31 and whichare held in place by means of integral webs attached to the gussets 36and engaging the cartons. Similar triangular gussets are formed at thelower corners of the carton and engage the lower portions of thearticles in the same manner as the gussets 13 of FIGURES l and 2.

The top panel section 34 is formed with a pair of extending locking tabs38 which are similar to the locking tab 21 of FIGURES l to 3. The tabs33 extend through slots formed at the juncture of the side panel 32 andthe top panel section 35 and which are similar to the slots 24-28, asshown in FlGURE 3. These slots define projecting ears 39 which overliethe head portions of the locking tabs and which closely engage the sidesof the neck portions of the `locking tabs to hold them against lateralmovement.

The construction of FIGURES 4 and 5 is similar in all respect to that ofFIGURES l to 3, except for the fact that the carton is larger and isprovided with two locking tabs instead of a single locking tab. It willbe apparent that for still larger cartons it might be desirable toemploy more than two locking tabs and that other changes might be madein the constructions, as specifically disclosed. It is therefore notintended that the specific constructions disclosed be taken as afunction of he scope of the invention, reference being had for thispurpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A carton formed of paperboard or the like comprising foldablyconnected top, bottom and side panels, one of the panels being formed bytwo overlapping sections the outermost of which terminates adjacent to afold line between the other section and an adjacent panel, a locking tabprojecting beyond the end of the outermost section and including anarrow neck portion foldably joined to the end of said section and awider head portion spaced from the end of said section, there being aslit adjacent to the fold line between the other section and the panelto which it is foldably connected through which the head portion canextend, the slit having bowed portions therein extending into said lastnamed panel and then back to the fold line between said panel and saidother section defining spaced projecting ears on and in the plane ofsaid other section between which said neck portion fits and which engagethe neck portion to limit relative movement of the sections parallel toeach other.

2. A carton formed of paperboard or the like comprising foldablyconnected top, bottom and side panels, one of the panels being formed bytwo overlapping sections the outermost of which terminates adjacent to afold line between the other section and an adjacent panel, a locking tabprojecting beyond the end of the outermost section and including anarrow neck portion foldably joined to the end of said section and awider head portion spaced from the end of said section, there being aslit along the fold line between the other section and the panel towhich it is foldably connected spaced inwardly of the other section fromthe fold line in its central portion and offset outwardly of the othersection and inwardly of the panel adjacent to its ends with its extremeend portions lying on the fold line to define spaced ears on and in theplane of the other section extending over the edge of said last namedpanel, the locking tab being folded at an angle to the outermost of saidsections and having its head portion extending through the slit with theneck portion fitting between the spaced ears thereby to limit parallelmovement of the sections relative to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,399,537 Belden Apr. 30, 1946 2,481,288 Cage Sept. 6, 1949 2,658,660Keller Nov. l0, 1953 2,798,603 Grinspoon July 9, 1957 2,843,259 MetzgerJuly l5, 1958

